Electrically geared turbofan

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electrically gear turbofan that includes a fan; a first spool shaft; and an electrical gearbox including: an armature winding connected to the first spool shaft and coupled to a power source; and a magnetic receiver connected to the fan, and wherein an air gap is defined between the armature winding and the magnetic receiver. The turbines and electrical gearing enable an operator to rotate the spool shaft at a first rotational speed; power an armature winding to generate an armature magnetic field, wherein the armature magnetic field rotates at a second rotational speed; transfer rotational energy via the armature magnetic field from the spool shaft to the magnetic receiver; and rotate the fan at a third rotational speed. In some aspects, the third rotational speed is controlled via a direction and a magnitude of the second rotational speed relative to the first rotational speed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a fan ( 150 ) of a turbofan engine ( 100 ); 
 a first spool shaft ( 160 A) of the turbofan engine; 
 a power source ( 310 ) including:
 a permanent magnet ( 420 ); and 
 a generator armature winding ( 430 ) located in a generator magnetic field ( 415 ) produced by the permanent magnet; and 
 
 an electrical gearbox ( 110 ) including:
 an armature winding ( 111 ) connected to the first spool shaft and coupled to the power source ( 310 ); and 
 a magnetic receiver ( 112 ) connected to the fan and positioned in a facing relationship to the armature winding, and wherein an air gap is defined between the armature winding and the magnetic receiver, wherein the air gap is defined in a plane intersecting an axis of rotation of the first spool shaft. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical gearbox is an induction motor, wherein the magnetic receiver is a receiver armature winding ( 340 ). 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical gearbox is a permanent magnet motor, wherein the magnetic receiver is a permanent magnet array ( 330 ). 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic receiver is positioned coaxially within a cavity defined by the armature winding. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the armature winding is positioned coaxially within a cavity defined by the magnetic receiver. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the armature winding and the magnetic receiver are linked via a radial magnetic field. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second spool shaft ( 160 B), coaxial with the first spool shaft;
 wherein the permanent magnet ( 420 ) is connected to the second spool shaft at an interface between the first spool shaft and the second spool shaft; and 
 
 wherein the generator armature winding ( 430 ) is connected to the first spool shaft at the interface and located in a generator magnetic field ( 415 ) produced by the permanent magnet; and 
 a frequency converter ( 520 ), coupled to the generator armature winding and to the armature winding. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the generator magnetic field propagates radially outward from an axis of rotation for the first spool shaft over a second air gap defined between the permanent magnet and the generator armature winding. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the generator magnetic field propagates coaxially to an axis of rotation for the first spool shaft over a second air gap defined between the permanent magnet and the generator armature winding. 
     
     
       10. A turbofan engine ( 100 ), comprising:
 a fan ( 150 ); 
 a turbine enclosure ( 120 ), comprising:
 an air intake ( 121 ) at an upstream end; 
 a compression section ( 122 ) downstream of the air intake; 
 a combustion section ( 123 ) downstream of the compression section; 
 a turbine section ( 124 ) downstream of the combustion section; and 
 an exhaust ( 125 ) at a downstream end; 
 a first spool shaft ( 160 A) coupled with a first compressor ( 170 A) of the compression section, with a first turbine ( 180 A) of the turbine section; and 
 an electrical gearbox ( 110 ) located upstream of the turbine enclosure and coupled with the first spool shaft and the fan, configured to transfer rotational energy from the first spool shaft rotating at a first rotational speed to the fan to rotate the fan at a second rotational speed, wherein:
 the first rotational speed is different from the second rotational speed; and 
 the electrical gearbox generates an armature magnetic field ( 320 ) that rotates in a rotational direction according to a difference in the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed. 
 
 
 
     
     
       11. The turbofan engine of  claim 10 , wherein the first rotational speed is greater than the second rotational speed, wherein the electrical gearbox generates an armature magnetic field ( 320 ) that rotates in a first direction opposite to a second direction in which the fan and the first spool shaft rotate. 
     
     
       12. The turbofan engine of  claim 10 , wherein the first rotational speed is less than the second rotational speed, wherein the electrical gearbox generates an armature magnetic field ( 320 ) that rotates in a shared direction in which the fan and the first spool shaft rotate. 
     
     
       13. The turbofan engine of  claim 10 , further comprising a nacelle ( 130 ) in which the fan and the turbine enclosure are defined, and wherein the turbine enclosure and the nacelle define a bypass flow chamber ( 131 ) therebetween. 
     
     
       14. The turbofan engine of  claim 10 , wherein the electrical gearbox comprises:
 an armature winding ( 111 ), coupled to a power source ( 310 ), and coupled to the first spool shaft; and 
 a magnetic receiver ( 112 ), separated from the armature winding by an air gap, and coupled to the fan. 
 
     
     
       15. The turbofan engine of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a second spool shaft ( 160 B) coupled with a second compressor ( 170 B) of the compression section and with a second turbine ( 180 B) of the turbine section and running coaxially with the first spool shaft, wherein the second spool shaft is configured to rotate at a third rotational speed; and 
 wherein the power source comprises:
 a generator armature winding ( 430 ) connected to the first spool shaft; 
 a permanent magnet ( 420 ) connected to the second spool shaft and separated from the generator armature winding via a second air gap, wherein the permanent magnet is configured to:
 emit a generator magnetic field ( 415 ); 
 rotate relative to the generator armature winding at a differential rotational speed corresponding to a difference between the first rotational speed and the third rotational speed; and 
 induce a generated current in the generator armature winding; and 
 
 
 a frequency converter ( 520 ) connected to the generator armature winding and the electrical gearbox, configured to receive the generated current and transmit an input current of a different frequency than the generated current to power the armature winding in the electrical gearbox. 
 
     
     
       16. The turbofan engine of  claim 14 , wherein the magnetic receiver is a receiver armature winding ( 330 ). 
     
     
       17. The turbofan engine of  claim 14 , wherein the magnetic receiver is a permanent magnet array ( 320 ). 
     
     
       18. A method ( 600 ), comprising:
 rotating ( 610 ) a spool shaft ( 160 ) in a turbofan engine ( 100 ) at a first rotational speed; 
 powering an armature winding ( 111 ) on a first end of the spool shaft ( 160 ) to generate an armature magnetic field ( 320 ), wherein the armature magnetic field rotates at a second rotational speed different from the first rotational speed, and wherein the second rotational speed is based on the first rotational speed; 
 transferring rotational energy from the spool shaft to a magnetic receiver coupled to a fan via the armature magnetic field; and 
 rotating the fan at a third rotational speed. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the third rotational speed is controlled via a direction and a magnitude of the second rotational speed relative to the first rotational speed. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the magnetic receiver is a permanent magnet array ( 320 ).